Catching up a bit

I really haven't updated this since May? That can't be right. Well, to be fair, I moved out of my parents' house in May and do not have internet at my apartment.

Now, excuses aside, I have no intention of just dropping this blog. I'm far too chatty and introspective a person to give up a tool that allows me to talk about anything I'm thinking, regardless of whether anyone really cares. (Clearly I'm not aspiring to draw a huge audience with this particular blog. I tried that with another blog and then had the same problem of not updating it.)

Since my last post was about starting to train for the Twin Cities Marathon, I should probably begin by saying the training didn't go quite as planned (though still better than training for the Stillwater Marathon). I didn't run as often as I had hoped during my 2.5 week trip to Europe with my dance group. Then, as soon as I got home, I was out for two weeks with a severe cold and tonsilitis. All of this happened during what should have been the peak of my training.

Despite these hiccups, the marathon actually went pretty well. I came within 4 minutes of my original goal (I finished in just over 4 hours and 34 minutes), knocking almost 45 minutes off my time at Stillwater. The next goal is 4 hours... then I can start thinking about qualifying for Boston.

The two months following the marathon saw my biggest slump since I started running regularly. I ran once at the end of October. November was my first zero-mile month in years. I've finally gotten my rear in gear again with a new membership to the YMCA. I love running outdoors in the winter, but it's just too dark by the time I get home from work... especially for a 22-year-old woman who likes to run alone. Now that I've gotten my running back on track (pun not intended but appreciated), I've been in a much better mood overall. Never underestimate the mental wellness powers of fitness. Seriously.

I could go on to update other aspects of my life, but I only get so much time for lunch. I guess I'll just have to not go seven months between posts.